Marine Directive 96/98/EC

The MED covers any ship flying a flag of an EEA member state. The UK Competent Body is the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) formerly the Marine Safety Agency (MSA). Conformity assessment is through a Notified Body, such as BSI, and the compliance mark is the Ship's Wheel.

The MED covers a vast array of equipment, covering all aspects of a ships safety.

Annex A.1 - lists equipment that requires the assistance of a Notified Body for conformity assessment.

The equipment is listed under the following headings:

Life-saving appliances

Marine-pollution prevention

Fire protection

Navigation equipment

Radio-communication equipment

Along with the specific item designations, this Annex lists the applicable SOLAS regulations and International testing standards that must be used and the Modules for conformity assessment.

Annex A.2 - lists equipment for which no detailed testing standards exist in International instruments and as such will require the application of relevant national standards. Therefore, there are no specific conformity assessment requirements.

BSI are currently accredited for 42 of the product lines listed in Annex A.1 under Life Saving Appliances and Fire Protection and will be increasing this coverage in the future.

Why choose BSI for product certification

As a notified body, we are trusted all over the world to ensure that products and devices meet the a variety of product certification directives and schemes.

Experience - BSI is one of the world’s most respected and comprehensive Notified Bodies with unrivalled expertise and experience in helping its customers through these often complex processes.

Accessible & ready – our dedicated team is ready and waiting to help you comply with your chosen product certification needs

Speed to market – our specialist expertise means that BSI can deliver one of the fastest speed-to-market services available giving you the advantage and head start over your competitors.

Access to markets - as a global organisation, BSI can help you gain access to markets and business streams around the world through its network of over 50 global offices and 120 international markets.

Next steps

If you would like to have your products and devices tested to meet the requirements of this order or scheme by one of the most widely respected organisations in the world, talk to us today. Our consultants are ready to help.